In 1710 the society removed to a house which they bought in Crane court, Fleet street. In 1780, by order of George III., quarters were assigned to them in the then new palatial building, Somerset house. There they abode until 1857, when, at the request of the government, they migrated westward to Burlington house, a wing of which they now occupy.
The society's session commences on the third Thursday in November, and ends on the third Thursday in Jim. During this period meetings are held weekly at 8.30 P.31. for the reading and discussion of papers, and these papers arc for the most part after ward published in the Proceedings or the Philosophical Transactions. The anniversary meeting is held on Nov. 30. At that meeting the society elect a council to carry on their work through the ensuing year. This council, comprising president, treasurer, and secretaries, numbers 21 persons.
The number of candidates for election into the society averages between 30 and 60 every year. From these the council select 15, whose names are printed and sent to every fellow, and in ,Tune the annual meeting takes place at which the 15 arc elected; but any fellow is at liberty to :titer the list of names. There arc in all about 560 fellows, includ ing 5ti foreign members.
The society's income is derived from funded and landed property, and the annual contributions of the fellows. Each fellow contributes £4 yearly, or pays a life-composi tion of £60, with an admission fee of £10. These payments entitle him to the Philo sophical Transactions and Proceedings, and to the use of the library of 30,000 volumes. The fund raised for the abolition of admission fees and the reduction of the annual con tributions to £3 amounted in 1879 to £10,000.
The society undertakes the administratiou of the £1000 annually voted by parliament for scientific purposes; also assists in the administration of an additional £4,000 voted (1876-80) for the same purpose. The society also assists in the naming of the meteoro logical council, which (1379-80) received a government grant of £14,500.
In fulfillment of trusts, the society award annually, in recognition of scientific work and discoveries, the Copley medal and two royal medals; and the Rumford medal every two years for researches in light or heat. To these has been added the Davy medal for chemical investigations.
The most illustrious names in the annals of science appear on the roll of presidents of the royal society. •